WYNNE
,
WILLIAM
(
1671?
-
1704
),
historian
,
came of the family of
Wynne
of
Garthewin
,
Llanfair Talhaiarn
(see
J. E.Griffith
,
Pedigrees
, 167), a cadet branch of the
Wynne
of
Melai
family (ibid. 376); a
RobertWynne
(d.
1682
), younger son of
JohnWynne
of
Melai
, m.
MargaretPrice
, heiress of
Garthewin
; their son,
RobertWynne
(
1636
-
1680
),
rector
of
Llan-ddeiniolen
and of
Llaniestyn
, and
canon
of
Bangor
, m.
CatherineMadryn
, heiress of
Llannerch Fawr
(
Llannor
, near
Pwllheli
). The eldest son of this marriage was
ROBERTWYNNE
(d.
1743
),
Fellow
of
Jesus
(
Oxford
)
1681-91
,
vicar
of
Gresford
and
chancellor of S. Asaph1690-1743
, a supporter of the
S.P.C.K.
and of the
charity-school movement
; the youngest was the
historian
. Born in all probability in
1671
(certainly
not later than 12 Nov. 1671
), he went up to
Jesus College
in
March 1687/8
, took his
first degree in
1691
, became
Fellow
of
Jesus
in
1692
, and seems to have resided continuously at
Oxfordtill 1702
at least. In
1702
he was preferred to the rectory of
Llanfachraeth
in
Anglesey
, but there is no evidence that he ever resided there; he is called ‘
bishop's chaplain
’ on his tombstone. According to a marginal note in the
Llanfachraeth
register, he d. in
May 1704
. At
Oxford
, he was one of the circle of
EdwardLhuyd
(q.v.)
. In
1697
, he published a
History of Wales
— really a working-over of the
Historie of Cambria
(
1584
) of
DavidPowel
(q.v.)
;
it was reprinted (unaltered) in
1702
, again (with some changes) in
1774
and
1812
, and finally in
1832
(with topographical notes by
RichardLlwyd
of
Llannerch Brochwel
). Its merits are slight, but it remained for well-nigh two centuries the ‘stock’ book on mediaeval
Welsh
history, for
English
readers.